It was a dark, dank and dismal evening at the start of November (i.e. 30 whole days of dark dank dismallness ahead) and my lovely husband and I were discussing the upcoming Yuletide and our first Christmas as man and wife.
December 25th also happens to be my lovely husband's 50th birthday, and so I felt like we should do something extra special this year.
All throughout my childhood, I have nostalgic memories of the whole family (about 22 of us) gathering at either our house or at one of my mum's 3 younger sisters' houses for a teatime BUFFET!!! Year upon year, there were always 3 of these occasions.....one on Christmas Day, one on Boxing Day and one on New Years Eve. It was the law. All very enjoyable, all with similar buffets, just a different house. We were real troopers!!!! My auntie Jean's buffets were usually accompanied by the highlight of my uncle Roy playing his accordian. And we all remember that year when they had a new 3 -piece suite and kept the plastic wrapping on it to avoid sticky fingers!
I thought it was all magic and although in hindsight we possibly had buffet overkill, these family buffets made my Christmas year after year.
Sometimes there was dancing, but always the huge family teapot (affectionately named Big Bertha) was passed around. I remember my dad buying in a 'Party 6' (i.e. an enormous can of beeriness). Plus, we bought each other little presents for the one on Christmas Day and we handed them out and opened them with delight. You just can't find bath cubes for your aunts these days :-)
Anyway, back to the point, though I think you have the picture now.
On said November evening, I had the bright idea of my lovely husband and I hosting a buffet on the Sunday before Christmas. I have to say here that we live some 25 miles from the family nucleus in Nottinghamshire, but I extended invitations to our event nevertheless, and rather swiftly thanks to Facebook!
'No-one will come, it's too far' I quipped to my lovely, slightly worried-looking husband Robert. 'But it's the thought that counts.'
Fifteen of them are coming. They like a nice sausage roll. Plus, I described it as 'an old-fashioned family buffet' which I believe swung it, as these family buffets stopped mid-80's after I lost my mum and my aunts started to spend Christmas away, plus we young 'uns grew up and were busy with our own lives etc.
With Robert and myself that makes 17, and then our very good friends Jo and Austin told us last night they were coming as well. This made me heave a HUGE sigh of relief, as having my best friend of 35 years there will help stop me panicking and keep me sane!
The good news is that 'I have written a list'. I need lists. Especially for something as big as this.
So all will be fine...........................*whispers* eeek!
